West Central Reporter

Jacksonville School District 117 reported 1,278 suspensions or expulsions for the 2021-22 school year, according to the latest student discipline report by the Illinois State Board of Education.

According to the report, the district expelled or suspended 1278 students during the year. This equates to 41 percent of the 3,131 students enrolled.

Students were expelled for 30 incidents with violence that caused physical injury, 260 incidents with violence without physical injury, 111 incidents with alcohol and tobacco, 14 incidents with drugs, 28 incidents with a dangerous weapon, other than a firearm.

The district reported that most in-school suspensions were given for unspecified reasons, of which there were 366. There were 94 incidents of violence without injury. For 365 incidents, students were suspended for one to two days.

Boy students received 793 suspensions, while 481 girls were suspended.

There were 901 elementary or middle school students, and 377 high school students suspended in 2021-22 school year.

The district reported that most out-of-school suspensions were given for unspecified reasons, of which there were 469. There were 166 incidents of violence without injury. For 336 incidents, students were suspended for two to three days.

Illinois ranks as the 5th state in terms of the overall number of schools and student enrollment among all states.

Illinois lawmakers enacted laws in 2015 to restrict schools from disciplining a disproportionate number of Black and minority students out of school and into the criminal justice system, often for minor misbehavior.

	In-school Suspension	Out-of-school Suspension
Alcohol	4	4
Violence with injury	7	23
Violence without injury	94	166
Drug offenses	1	13
Firearm	0	0
Other dangerous weapons	10	18
Tobacco	28	75
Other reason	366	469
Total	510	768

	In-school Suspension	Out-of-school Suspension
One day or less	37	23
1-2 days	365	291
2-3 days	33	336
3-4 days	34	59
4-10 days	40	59
More than 10 days	1	0